Vienna, Austria

Best Daytrip From Vienna

To the west of Krems is the delightful town on Dürnstein.
This small village somehow manages
to maintain a medieval look and feel, even though it has succumbed, at least
somewhat, to modernization.

Dürnstein will not take much
time to tour, but it is exceptionally well-preserved and has a number
of excellent restaurants that make it a favorite lunch stop for many
travelers.

The town's church and its famed pen-like tower are one of the sights most
photographed by those passing the town in tour boats. The Chorherrenstift (a monastery)
dates from the 13th century. Note that the tower is the most interesting
aspect of the church and monastery and that the best views of it are from
the Danube.

On the hill above Dürnstein are the ruins of Kuenringer Castle, the fortress where
Richard the Lionheart, King of England, was held captive after being
captured and held for ransom by Duke Leopold V (a Babenberg). King
Richard was returning from the Crusades in the Holy Lands when his ship
foundered. The sinking of his vessel left King Richard with limited funds and
he decided to return to
England by the least expensive means, an overland route. Traveling in disguise and
accompanied only by a small band of guards, he was captured by the Duke who
knew that holding Richard could return a substantial ransom.

It was rumored that part of the King Richard's substantial ransom
was used to rebuild Vienna and some say a portion of the ransom was spent on
construction of the
Stephansdom, the cathedral of Vienna. A
side-effect of the capture of the English king, was that Duke Leopold was
excommunicated by the Pope, as he was judged to have wronged a Crusader working to
support the goals of the church.

For more information about Dürnstein (sometimes spelled
Duernstein) see the town's
website (in German).

Only a short distance from Dürnstein, you will find the
fabulous Benedictine Abbey hovering above both the Danube River and the town of Melk.